"Developer KidsAndBeyond have put out such a wonderful app with Map My Globe. Just this week I wrote a post for a lifestyle website that talked about the benefits and importance of teaching our kids about the world around them. This is the perfect addition to your educational library as it literally maps the globe. The first page opens up with pictures of the different continents with pictures of flags and famous landmarks in each region. If you push the blinking arrow it takes you to the next page where we can either have a young woman read to us or read it ourselves. The introduction asks us if we have ever wondered what continent Nambia was in or what currency the country of Ecuador uses. For any fun-facts loving kid (and adult) this app is filled with really interesting facts about the world!"

In the Prep School we took the decision to invest in a number of iPads. Although we are well aware that the devices are better used in a 1:2:1 environment, the acquisition of shared devices is a huge stepping stone in the right direction and an exciting statement of intent. Eight weeks into the project, the iPads have been in almost continual use. From subjects as diverse as Latin and Maths, they have been used in a whole host of imaginative and creative ways and are fast becoming a much-valued resource.

What though, and most importantly, has been the impact on learning? Last week I took the opportunity to gauge the opinion of those who matter most, our pupils. The results of the survey are published below and are a real cause for celebration:

Since there’s such a push to bring apps into the classroom, it’s time to figure out which ones are right for you. I threw together this cheat sheet to choosing education apps that will hopefully help you quickly choose what works (and what doesn’t).

So what are some of the best education apps for active learning? What are the top ways to get students actively engaged and interacting with one another? There are some seriously amazing iPad apps that are terrific for project-based learning, active engagement, and even flipped classrooms.

This cheat sheet will help – but first let’s run through the questions you see in the visual.

For years iPad users have hoped for split screen multi-tasking on the iPad. While it was rumored to have been part of the iOS 8 update, people are still awaiting the multi-tasking capability on their iPads. Alas this wasn’t to be, perhaps iOS 9 will fulfill these wishes??

Meanwhile back in February 2014 I was contacted by Chris van der Kuil (founder of Make Me Blue iOS Edutech Apps) asking me to test drive their new Easy Annotate app. I gladly obliged and I’m glad to say that following numerous updates this app is now a core app in my language classroom. It’s integration with WebDAV, Dropbox and Google Drive has allowed me to correct pupil work using the split screen function.

Sometimes when you’re compiling your content for your next blog post you find that, to get your point across, you have to cover a lot of facts and figures, statistics, or tabular information, and it’s really tricky to put into words. Wouldn’t it be great if you could easily compile it all into a vibrant and easy to read chart, or even a collection of charts that are all related? Then, wouldn’t it be great if it was all in one image that you could share to other people, or even print to stick on the wall of your classroom?

Reading through the solution to Dr. Russell's search challenge, which is a very advanced one that I wouldn't expect most high school students to employ, got me thinking about a search strategy and tools that I haven't employed before. That prompted me into thinking about creating a list of accessible search tools and strategies that middle school and high school students often overlook. Here's my short list of tools and strategies that are often overlooked.

"Regardless of whether you think every infant needs an iPad, I think we can all agree that technology has changed education for the better. Today’s learners now enjoy easier, more efficient access to information; opportunities for extended and mobile learning; the ability to give and receive immediate feedback; and greater motivation to learn and engage.

We now have programs and platforms that can transform learners into globally active citizens, opening up countless avenues for communication and impact. Thousands of educational apps have been designed to enhance interest and participation. Course management systems and learning analytics have streamlined the education process and allowed for quality online delivery.

But if we had to pick the top ten, most influential ways technology has transformed education, what would the list look like? The following things have been identified by educational researchers and teachers alike as the most powerful uses of technology for learning. Take a look."

Notification Center has an all new look in iOS 8. Configuring how and which notifications you receive from your arsenal of downloaded apps doesn’t have to be rocket science. If you are new to iOS, are having difficulties setting up notifications on your iPad, or you have no idea what Notification Center is all about–you’ve come to the right place.

In the next couple of weeks my year 2 children will be using the brilliant Scratch Jnr app to create basic polar bear animations. It ties in with the work that we are doing in class and I believe that the app is easy enough for 6 year olds to use, especially with some careful pairing.

In D&T, we use iPads primarily to help students to complete their Controlled Assessments by using apps such as Keynote, Popplet, and Pureflow. Showbie is a particularly effective way for students to receive instant feedback in order to help them to achieve the maximum grades. iPads have also helped encourage students in D&T to meet deadlines as reminders can be set and sent using apps such as Edmodo. Within Graphics, students undertake a Grand Designs project that allows them to mirror the role of an architect, through the use of apps such as Planner 5D and Autodesk FormIt. Using Computer Aided Design apps on the iPad allows students to design a new building for the de Ferrers Academy. Excellent prototypes have been developed, many of which were commercially viable.

"Since there really is now singular ‘perfect’ app, let’s take a look at some of the options that are quite good. They are not all perfect for you. Don’t be fooled by anyone claiming their app is perfect for you or anyone else. Spoiler alert: it’s not perfect. It’s probably good enough for many people but you need something unique to you. Therein lies the problem."

Dinosaur Hook HD: iDinoBook is a nice iPad app all about dinosaurs. The app features a map depicting many of the places that dinosaur fossils have been found around the world. Tap on the placemarks on the map to see an index of the dinosaurs found in that location. After opening the index you can select a dinosaur and read more about it. Images of fossils and artistic renderings of each dinosaur are included throughout the app.

Text Engine was developed to offer cell phone users a means to search the web using their text messaging service. This is great news for educators and students in low-income and rural communities.

And that's a good thing, because while smartphones are popular, there is still a great need for text-only services in low-income and rural districts. There is also a need in districts like NYC that empower students to bring their own devices to school, but don't have the means to enable students to connect to the internet.

"Last month, the Institute of Play released a 160-page whitepaper on successfully designing and implementing video games as classroom assessment tools. It is widely hoped that the Institute's study, along with further research by SRI, will prove conclusively that cognitive skills are significantly improved by playing educational video games. This was not news to the math education community, which has known about the benefits of games in the classroom for a long time. Back in 2004, a study by Tisa Lach and Lynae Sakshaug had already shown that middle school students made significant improvements in algebraic reasoning, spatial sense, and problem-solving abilities after playing biweekly sessions of popular tabletop games such as Connect Four, Mastermind, Rush Hour, and Guess Who."

Earlier today on the FreeTech4Teachers Facebook page someone asked if there is a way to create a mind map of Wikipedia entries. WikiMindMap.org does exactly that. On the site you can enter a search term and almost instantly see a web of related topics. In the video embedded below I provide a short overview of WikiMindMap.org

Read and Write for Google is an excellent Chrome app that provides text-to-speech functions from your browser. They have just released a free iPad and Android app.

The apps provide text to speech functions, which are great for ESL, learning disabled, visually challenged and struggling readers, on your device, just like the web app does in the Chrome Browser and Chromebooks.

How long can any device realistically be expected to remain an effective tool in the classroom? Three years? Five years? Yet today, when schools decide on a device for their 1:1 programs, that choice quickly gets written into their school “brand.” Schools become identified by that choice, and the evaluation of other devices ceases. There are even certifications to this extent, such as GAFE schools, Apple Distinguished Schools, and so on.

But it’s important that schools who make “the choice” don’t simply stop planning at that point. As educational technology becomes key to the daily workings of a classroom, discussing the direction of its use should not end once devices are in their students’ hands.

After its launch the iPad quickly became the darling of the K-12 education community. Schools and teachers quickly saw the opportunities that it afforded students and jumped to get them into their hands. Fast forward a few years and it seems that a lot of schools have relegated the iPad to a supporting role or ditched them entirely. As mentioned elsewhere this is primarily due to a lack of clear vision, a misunderstanding of what the iPad is and an imiginative, uninspiring curriculum.

While the iPad may no longer be the technology de jour in certain circles it is impossible to ignore what a compelling device the iPad is. So, why is the iPad still the best choice for schools, teachers and students.

I think that while you do get quality for your money with the iPad, you can also get good Android tablets for a lot less. The biggest reason I am still a proponent of iPads in school instead of Android tablets(our school has both) is that at present, the quality and availability of apps for the iPad, in particular those that focus on creative multimedia is by far greater than for Android.

Book Creator is a fantastic tool that does exactly what it says: it lets users create books. The interface is simple and intuitive and that’s what makes it so great for the classroom. It also won the Best Educational App at the BETT Awards 2015!

Coding is one of the most demanded skills in the 21st century learning. There is a growing need for teaching students the fundamentals of coding and computer programming not only because these are the skills needed for the future job market but also because coding allows learners to better understand their digitally focused life and therefore enhance their interaction with digital media.

Earlier this week the The Washington Post ran a story titled Why digital natives prefer reading in print. Yes, you read that right. Every time I see one of these stories it makes me think a bit about why this is the case. It actually amazes me that people are so surprised that "Digital Natives" prefer real books to e-books. The fact of the matter is the in the case of this article, we are talking about college students who have spent more than a decade completing their reading in real books and having educators assign work from real books. Just because they now have access to e-textbooks and/or e-books does not mean that they will choose to abandon the workflow they have used for their entire educational career. Why are we surprised by this?

We have recently started a class Twitter feed to extend our classroom beyond its walls and share our learning with the world. The students are so thrilled to upload their work samples for parents, teachers and other classes around the world to see. They excitedly wait to see whether we have any new followers or replies and my inbox is crowded with emails from my students sending me examples of their iPad work to post. They love to hear my laptop “ping”, indicating a new email, and announce matter-of-factly to the class “That was me, just sending you my work for our Twitter”. This latest technological venture for us has brought a new-found sense of enthusiasm to our learning environment.

Last week as part of our History studies we connected with experts via Twitter to completely transform our History assessment. The existing assessment task required students to observe photos of old and new technology and pose and answer questions based on what they could see in the images. I immediately thought of Twitter and the possibility of engaging with experts to answer our questions, and provide us with new information that we could not gain ourselves by analyzing a photograph.

Every teacher knows that visual aids are a good way to facilitate the learning process and grab students’ attention for a long time. Educators use different posters, videos, slideshows to explain a new topic, provide more details or even test students. Presentations take a prominent part in the visual aids collection. Their main benefit is that teachers can combine various types of content in one presentation: text, images, video clips, music. Saved in a video format, presentations can be easily shown in class, uploaded to YouTube, embedded into a school website, or shared on any other educational resource.

Every teacher knows that visual aids are a good way to facilitate the learning process and grab students’ attention for a long time. Educators use different posters, videos, slideshows to explain a new topic, provide more details or even test students. Presentations take a prominent part in the visual aids collection. Their main benefit is that teachers can combine various types of content in one presentation: text, images, video clips, music. Saved in a video format, presentations can be easily shown in class, uploaded to YouTube, embedded into a school website, or shared on any other educational resource.

Several years ago, teachers had a limited choice of software to create presentations. Namely, there was only one tool for all presentation needs: Microsoft PowerPoint. With it, educators created, edited, and showed their presentations to students. The software was often non-responding in the most crucial moment. To say more, unskilled users often corrupted PPT files, did undesired edits, and simply could not show their works in incompatible school PC operating systems. Only a couple years ago, Microsoft added the possibility to save presentations in popular video formats and upload to YouTube. At the same time, there appeared a great deal of free alternatives, which allowed teachers to create video presentations much easier and faster than with PowerPoint. Here are the most prominent of them.

My job as a technology integration specialist for a PreK-12 public school district became a whole lot more interesting this year as the schools I support implemented a 1-to-1 iPad program in grades K-12. It’s been especially exciting to see the creative things the teachers and students are doing in the arts.

Sharing your scoops to your social media accounts is a must to distribute your curated content. Not only will it drive traffic and leads through your content, but it will help show your expertise with your followers.

Integrating your curated content to your website or blog will allow you to increase your website visitors’ engagement, boost SEO and acquire new visitors. By redirecting your social media traffic to your website, Scoop.it will also help you generate more qualified traffic and leads from your curation work.

Distributing your curated content through a newsletter is a great way to nurture and engage your email subscribers will developing your traffic and visibility.
Creating engaging newsletters with your curated content is really easy.